A Sea-Watch spokeswoman said: "They were really happy about finally being able to reach land again. The mental stress was not bearable any longer, this insecurity, this complete loss of control over their own fate."

She said the 15 boys would go to a reception centre in Catania, while the men would be taken to Messina before being sent to other countries.

Image copyrightFelix Weiss / Sea-WatchImage caption
The Italian Prime Minister agreed to let the ship anchor in Sicily after six countries offered to take the migrants in

Far-right minister Mr Salvini said he was considering legal action against the crew for aiding illegal immigration and wants to ban ships with rescued migrants from entering Italian waters.

Some 113,482 migrants crossed the Mediterranean to reach Europe last year, according to the UN refugee agency, and another 2,262 people lost their lives or went missing.